Dispenser for granulated material



G. L. WAGNER 3,023,935

DISPENSER FOR GRANULATED MATERIAL March 6, 1962 Filed Jan. 15, 1959 ifz1 11:

/NI/NT0R GEORGE L Mae/v52 h /m 5 W 3,023,935 DISPENSER FOR GRANULATEDMATERIAL George L. Wagner, Rte. 4, Box 237, Wayzata, Minn. Filed Jan.15, 1959, Ser. No. 786,963 Claims. (Cl. 222164) This invention relatesto simplified dispensers for granular and powdered materials such assoap, sugar, coffee, seasoning granules, chemicals and the like, where asupply container is supported in overhanging relation from a wall orother upstanding support.

7 Most dispensers for such purposes require manipulation by plunger orrotary valve parts; are difiicult to clean and sterilize; and arerelatively expensive to manufacture and assemble.

It is an object of my invention to provide a very simple and efficientdispenser of the class described adapted in response to an impact uponthe outer portion of the body to dispense a substantially measuredquantity of the granular or powdered material into the hand of the useror into a receptacle held below the device.

A further object is the provision of an impact-actuated dispenser forgranular and powdered materials having a combination of container bodyand mounting therefor providing an inherent resiliency and constructedto provide for limited tilting of the container on a transverse,substantially horizontal axis when the front of the container is struckand combined with a lower charging and measuring chamber with dispensingpassage whereby a charge will be dispensed upon the original impact ofthe container body and whereafter a new charge of the material will bedeposited in the charging and measuring chamber by the resilient returnof the container to its normal upright position.

More specifically it is an object to provide a dispenser of the classdescribed having an impact-tilting supply container and mountingprovided with a bottom wall having a charging passage in the rearportion thereof adjacent the mounting and having disposed below saidbottom wall a forwardly extending charging and measuring chamber, therear portion of which receives from said passage and the forward portionof which com municates with a dispensing passage disposed below theforward portion of the container whereby the sudden rearward tilting ofsaid container bottom and measuring chamber through an impact deliveredagainst the forward portion of the container because of the inertia ofnited the material and the sudden rear displacement of the container,shifts a substantially measured charge of material to said dispensingpassage and the rapid return of the container and charging chamber tothe normal upstanding position produces shifting of the bottom materialin the container and the dropping or discharge of a new charge ofmaterial upon the rear portion of the charging chamber.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken diametrically of the container andcharging chamber of an embodiment of my dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1showing the configuration and discharge or charging passage through thebottom wall of the container;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1showing the configuration and structure of the charging and measuringchamber of my structure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of my dispensermounted above a conventional lavatory for dispensing measured quantitiesof soap powder; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating a differentform of mounting bracket wherein the resiliency of bracket and containerbody combine to produce longitudinal tilting and return of the dispenserupon impact against the forward portion of the body.

The dispenser of my invention, a preferred embodiment of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, comprises a container 6 ofgenerally cylindrical cross section made preferably of a plasticmaterial and resiliently or tiltingly mounted on an upstanding verticalsupport such as a wall W by means of a resilient supporting member 7.The top or roof of the container is provided with an opening 8 forfilling the container with a granulated or powdered material such assoap and a cap or cover 9 which removably overlies the top of thecontainer in close fitting relation therewith.

The granular material within the container rests on or is supported by apartition or bottom wall 10 which encloses the lower open end of thecontainer. This bottom wall may be permanently attached to thecontainer, but in my preferred form is detachable therefrom to permitready access to the interior of the container for cleaning thereof. Inthe form of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the bottom wall 10is held against the circumferential lower edge of the container wall bythe charging and measuring chamber, indicated generally by 11. Adischarge or charging passage or opening 12 is provided in the rearmarginal portion of the bottom wall 10 adjacent the supporting member 7.p

The charging and measuring chamber indicated generally by 11, whichconstitutes the bottom portion of the dispenser, is a dish-like memberof generally cylindrical cross section and is removably attached to thecontainer as by a threaded connection as indicated at 13.

The bottom of the measuring chamber 11 has formed therein a shallowelongate material receiving channel 14 which is disposed longitudinallygenerally in the line of shifting or tilting movement of the container,with the rear portion thereof disposed beneath the charging opening 12.Channel 14 connects with and has formed in the forward portion thereof adispensing passage or opening 15, and may have an intermediate shelf ordeck 16 adjacent the dispensing passage 15 and connected therewith by anarrow upstanding retaining lip 17. The supporting member 7 of FIG, 1 isof resilient plastic material and is so designed and mounted in relationto the container 6 that a blow on the lower forward portion of thecontainer causes limited tilting thereof on a transverse substantiallyhorizontal axis, so that the dispenser momentarily assumes a positionindicated by the dotted line of FIG. 1, the degree of tilting obviouslybeing dependent upon the force of the blow delivered to the lowerportion of the container, and then returns to its normal substantiallyvertical position.

FIG. 5 illustrates another method of resiliently mounting my dispenser,in which form the container 6 is supported by a mounting bracket 18 madeof spring metal, wherein the resiliency of the bracket and the containercombine to produce tilting and return of the dispenser upon impact.

Although two means of resiliently supporting my dispenser has beenshown, it is to be clearly understood that I do not wish or intend to belimited by these specific forms shown, and include as part of myinvention any combination of dispenser and/ or supporting meanstherefore which will produce a recoil type momentary shifting, vibratingor tilting movement of the bottom wall 10 and charging chamber 11 when ablow or pushing force is delivered against the forward portion of thecontainer 6.

In operation, the dispenser of my invention is mounted on a verticalsupporting structure such as a wall W in a readily accessible position,such as in FIG. 4, where it is shown mounted above a wash bowl andintended for use as a dispenser for granulated or powdered soap.

The container 6 is filled with granulated material to any heightdesired, a limited portion of this material passing through the chargingopening 12 in the bottom wall 10 to at least partially fill shallowchannel 14 of the charging chamber 11. Because of this spaced apartrelationship of openings 12 and 15, the material does not spill oversufliciently to reach opening and pass there through but comes to reston that portion of the channel occupied by deck 16 adjacent opening 15.The mass reaction of the material above and below the charging opening12 will limit the amount of material flowing from the container 6 intothe charging chamber 11 in a manner well known to those skilled in theart.

When some of the material contained in the dispenser is desired, areceptacle or simply a hand is placed beneath the dispensing opening 15and a light blow or tap is delivered against the lower forward portionof the container. Because of the inherent resiliency in the structureprovided by the supporting members in combination with the container,the blow causes the container and particularly the bottom wall 10 andmeasuring chamber 11 to momentarily tilt or vibrate rearwardly. Thisrearward movement of the measuring chamber 11, combined with the inertiaof the granular material resting in channel 14 on deck 16, and theinclination of said deck and channel, causes a substantially measuredportion of the material adjacent the opening 15 to be delivered to andthrough said opening to the receptacle or hand below.

The dispenser, upon reaching its maximum rearward movement, reversesdirection and moves forwardly to return to its normal vertical position.The return move ment shifts or moves the dispensing opening 15 away fromthe granulated material remaining in channel 14 of chamber 11 andprevents other dispensing thereof. The vibratory or tilting movement ofthe dispenser causes the mate rial in container 6 resting on bottom wall10 to shift position and move somewhat rearwardly, so that when thedispenser returns to its normal position, some of the material ispositioned above charging opening 12 and passes therethrough to refillthe measuring channel 14 of chamber 11, the dispenser then being readyfor another dispensing action of the type previously herein described.

From the foregoing, the advantages of my invention are apparent. Mydispenser is of simple design and capable of inexpensive construction.It may be readily disassembled for cleaning, and has no movingmechanical parts which might malfunction due to wearing or cloggingthereof and which might be difiicult to clean or sterilize. Finally, themethod of operating my dispenser is simplicity itself, requiring merelya tapping thereof to obtain a measured quantity of the material desired.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes maybe made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for granular and powdered material comprising anupstanding supply containers having a bottom wall provided with achamber-charging discharge passage in a rear portion thereof, resilientmeans for mounting and supporting said container to provide for rearwardshifting and forward return of at least the lower portion of saidcontainer from and to normal upstanding position, said container havinga charge-receiving and dispensing cahmber secured thereto and disposedbelow said bottom wall, said chamber extending longitudinally generallyin the line of said container-shifting and having a material supportingbottom normally extending at least close to a horizontal position withthe rear portion thereof positioned to receive from said chargingpassage of said bottom wall, said material supporting bottom shifting toa declined position when the forward portion of said container issubjected to a rearwardly moving impact and said material supportingbottom in the forward portion thereof having a downwardly extendingdischarge passage for dispensing a charge of the material when theforward portion of said container is subjected to a rearwardly movingimpact.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient mountingand supporting means provides for tilting of said container and itsdispensing chamber about substantially a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of said container.

3. A dispenser for granular and powdered material comprising anupstanding supply container having a bottom wall provided with achamber-charging discharge passage in a rear portion thereof, resilientmeans for mounting and supporting said container to provide for rearwardshifting and forward return of at least the lower portion of saidcontainer from and to normal upstanding position, a charge-receiving anddispensing section detachably secured to the lower end of said containerand defining an open-top chamber disposed below said bottom wall andextending longitudinally generally in the line of saidcontainer-shifting and having a material supporting bottom, the rearportion of which is positioned below the charging passage of the bottomwall of said container, and said chamber in the forward portion of saidmaterial supporting bottom thereof having a downwardly extendingdischarge passage, said discharge dispensing passage having its lowerend disposed below the bottom wall of said supply container fordispensing a charge of the material when the forward and lower portionof said container iS Subjected to a rearwardly moving impact.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said discharge-dispensingpassage is provided at the upper end thereof with a shallow upstandinglip.

5. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said chamber is of shallowchannel form and said material supporting bottom has a slightly raiseddeck area dis- P e me ia ly we n the ea c arge-re e i g P I- tion andthe forward discharge and dispensing passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

